Four hospitals in western Cuba began a clinical trial with the drug Jusvinza to treat residual polyarthritis in convalescent Chikungunya patients.
The Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) reported that the research was approved by the Health Innovation Committee and is carried out in hospitals in Havana and Matanzas, notes a report of the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
| Health authorities of #Cuba they started a #clinicaltrial with the medicine #Jusvinzadeveloped by @CIGBCuba to treat residual polyarthritis in convalescent patients of #chikungunyaspecified the Group @BioCubaFarma from your Facebook profile. pic.twitter.com/cvixk9mnTK
— Radio Progreso La Onda de la Alegría (@RP_OndaAlegria) November 5, 2025
The objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the immunoregulatory synthetic peptide in reducing joint pain and inflammation, one of the most frequent and prolonged sequelae of the disease.
Jusvinza, developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, was initially conceived as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
During the Covid pandemic it was used in Cuba to control hyperinflammation in serious and critical patients, according to official data.
This is the first clinical trial of its kind in the country, focused on the consequences of Chikungunya, highlights ACN.
The research seeks to provide scientific evidence on the usefulness of the drug in a health context “where vector-borne diseases represent a challenge for public health,” hard hit by the economic crisis that the island is experiencing.
The public health system has already recorded more than 20,000 cases of chikungunya, according to official reports. The provinces with the worst situation are Havana, Matanzas, Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Artemisa and Villa Clara.
